Missions Updates

Dear Friends,

When I first came to Uganda, I could not have imagined how thrilling it would be to love on a community of people. I think this surprise came about because as a Christian American, I had lost a little perspective of reality. Because most Americans have healthcare, resources, and have been graced by God to not be in dire need, I had failed to understand that three-fourths of the world has not been given such privileges. 

To the contrary, I have come to see that many around the world are watching family members die or suffer from treatable diseases. Or that many people have no idea where their next meal is going to come from. Such people are praying that God would provide the necessary resources to care for what most Americans would deem as their “basic needs.” And when they receive such “humanitarian aid”, it is received as a miracle. 

And this is how SOS as a ministry is perceived within Uganda—as a ministry sent by God. I could have never imagined the joy of being an eyewitness of the whooping and cheering of answered prayers as we care for the needy within our community. SOS is dedicated to displaying the love of Christ to the people of our community. We do this through three ministries:

• Our SOS Medical Center is providing high quality medical care to around 70 patients a day. 
• Our Joni and Friends partnership provides monthly care, physical development, and discipleship to those with disabilities within our neighboring communities and is working to empower churches throughout Uganda to care for the hurting under their care. 
• Our local church is loving our community by coming alongside the suffering and seeking to love them to Christ. 

These three ministries take on many forms from providing disability devices, education, constructing and remodeling homes, assessing and treating the sick, financing surgeries and dental care, and helping people in times of hardship. And all of this is only possible because of the support of churches and Christians throughout the US and Canada and the ministry of Joni and Friends. 

As a ministry, we are so grateful for all of you. You are a heaven-sent miracle to a whole community of people. Please keep helping. Please know that our Community Impact fund is currently in a deficit and in need of support.  Thank you for your love and support. 

For His Glory,

Shannon Hurley

JONI & FRIENDS: WHEELS FOR THE WORLD

See the incredible hope that Joni & Friends gives to both the hurting and their caretakers:

HEROES

When I think of SOS’s Community Impact ministries, the first word that comes to mind is the word, “heroes.” This is because loving people is hard and thankless work. It often is not glorious, especially in a poor community. SOS has such heroes. Two valiant families of compassion are Anthony & Mary Basaba and Paul & Sylvia Sewagudde. I can’t speak of our Community Impact ministries without honoring these two couples: 

Now those services have been pushed over to Dr. Paul, and Anthony now leads our disability ministry under Joni and Friends. This involves seeking out the disability needs throughout villages to care for them and then empowering churches throughout Uganda to do the same. The dynamic Basaba duo are champions to all of us here, and we are so grateful for their service. 

Sylvia, who is a mother of three small children, often, without hesitation, sacrifices her husband during off hours to attend to a patient. We could not be more proud or grateful for Dr. Paul’s humble and professional care. He is everything you would want a doctor to be. Not only is he smart, he loves the Lord and people. He is leading his staff to own the vision of using medicine to reach the lost. We praise God for this beloved couple. 

SOS is impacting its community, and these two couples are a major part of it.

To God be the glory!

SOS MEDICAL CENTER

By: Anitah Nakijjoba, Nurse, Sylvia NassiIwa, Medical Finance Assistant,

Eric Bbosa, Physical Therapist

Francis Grim proclaimed, “Every week, more people walk through the doors of hospitals than through the doors of churches”. This has been proven true at SOS Medical Center through its service to more than 1,000 people every month as we respond to their urgent needs, using this as a platform to share the message and love of Christ with those in and around Kubamitwe. Testimonies of high-quality compassionate care have been received from people near and far.

Lukka, a 41-year-old gentleman with Diabetes, saw the facility as his last ray of hope, having had his blood sugar uncontrolled for over three years. Since coming to SOS, he has benefited from the highly subsidized care by consistently receiving high-quality medication and is now stabilized. Fifty-five people with Sickle Cell disease have been enrolled in our Sickle Cell program. They have received consistent quality care that has helped reduce sickle crises and improve their quality of life.

Before the establishment of SOS Medical Center, the residents of Kubamitwe faced numerous challenges such as the distance to reliable healthcare, poor diagnostic services, and incompetent treatment even leading to deaths, especially in infants.

SOS Medical Center has had a tangible impact which has been felt far and wide. Many lives have been touched in profound and practical ways through its affordable services to the underprivileged, saving countless young lives as well as giving hope to chronically ill patients and prolonging their lives. What’s healthcare without prevention, if we may ask? To see this happen, outreach programs, sensitization and free medical camps have been organized by our facility. These have equipped communities with basic health knowledge and resulted in reduced prevalence of preventable diseases like Malaria.

Anitah Nakijjoba, a staff nurse at SOS Medical Center says, “Working with this facility is not just a job, rather a calling. We see every patient as an opportunity to extend God’s love and this makes all the difference.”

As a ministry we desire to care for our remote villages. Yet this calls for resources that will help us achieve our mission which is “To disciple the communities in and around Kubamitwe through loving, Christ-centered quality healthcare,” so join us to achieve this cause for God’s glory.

THE CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE OF HUMANITARIAN AID

Why is it that I so often feel sheepish about expressing our ministry's humanitarian needs? Why do awkward feelings accompany requests for helping the needy within my community? 

I believe it is because “humanitarian aid” has received a bad rap or an unbiblical perspective. Properly and needfully, Bible-believing, Christ-proclaiming churches emphasize the importance of eternal objectives. They rightfully warn their church people to care more about the spiritual than the physical. 

But unfortunately, I believe this has led many to see humanitarian aid in a bad light. They deem it as unimportant or even as unbiblical. But after having lived in Uganda for almost 20 years and having read my Bible more closely, I realize that caring for the physically hurting and destitute is essential, right, and should describe the lifestyle of all Christians. 

The Bible actually is critical of those who just see their brother in need and simply say, “'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' without giving the things needed for the body" (James 2:16). The act of neglecting the physical needs of your brethren is expressed as not loving God (Matthew 25:45). The Bible actually calls caring for the needs of others as part of "pure and undefiled religion" (James 1:27). 

Without question, God's mission is to build His Church and so humanitarian aid should have that as its greatest aim. And without question, the poor will always be with us (Matthew 26:11), but we should never forget that humanitarian aid is love. It is Christian. It is an essential expression of the Christian witness. And it is an important part of the ministry of SOS. And it has proved to be an overwhelming, credible validation to SOS's Christian witness. They know that we are Christains because of our love. 

Thank you for making this possible, and let us all not get weary of doing good (Gal 6:9), but let us continue to let our light shine before others so that they may see our actions and glorify our Father in Heaven (Matt 5:16).

STORIES OF COMMUNITY IMPACT

Click HERE to read 5 stories of individuals in our community who have been helped through our Community Impact ministry.